A Forged Letter
This letter apparently told readers what they wanted to hear: Mozart’s
inspiration, genius, originality, creativity—all descended upon
the entranced artist as if by lightning bolts from God. Arduous and intensive
training, practice and hard work in a lucid state—these exertions
were for mere mortals.

The tone of the forgery is markedly different from that
of Mozart's actual descriptions of how he composed, such as in letters
about Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from
the Seraglio). Enough of the contextual details used by the forger to
lend verisimilitude are incorrect that they have the opposite effect;
for instance, Mozart's father-in-law was dead at the time the letter was
purportedly written.